How do you live?

[AndyPandy]

@Aerose91 I don't know how your system works in the US, but here in Australia people who cannot pay their debts and have minimal assets can declare themselves bankrupt in certain circumstances.

It seems that if you paid for accommodation, food, utilities and medical expenses first then you would not be able to repay your loans. What would happen then?

In addition to getting help with disability payments you might also like to ask the lawyer about bankruptcy (or its equivalent) as an option to get you out of this cycle.

Whether this is worthwhile depends on how student loans are treated in the US. My understanding is that in Australia student loans are debts which survive bankruptcy.

But it still might be worth considering bankruptcy if you have other loans as well.

Best wishes Andy

 

[Sidereal]

Would it be possible for your parents to sell the house and buy a smaller property in a cheaper area that they + your stipend would be able to finance?

I agree with the above; I think you should disregard what SS people told you and get a lawyer. The system exists to deny disability claims in order to keep Western economies afloat. Almost everyone gets rejected initially.

I don't know what your relationship is like with your parents and it's totally fine if you don't wish to talk about it, I'm just throwing suggestions out there. Some parents would prefer to make sacrifices in order to save their child from homelessness, other families are abusive and prefer to cheer on or watch with indifference the demise of a family member deemed to be mentally ill and in need of "pulling himself together".

 

[Sidereal]

As far as I know, in the US even if you are declared bankrupt your student loans remain. Third level education bubble - one of the most sickening scams of the late 20th early 21st century.

 

[Valentijn]

Whether this is worthwhile depends on how student loans are treated in the US. My understanding is that in Australia student loans are debts which survive bankruptcy.

Federal loans can be discharged if completely disabled for 5 years, or if the disease is going to result in at least 5 years of disability.

The court can consider private educational loans during bankruptcy, albeit separately I think, and discharge them if it's appropriate. They'll consider whether you can live on your current income while making payments. A big factor is whether the loan company has agreed to lower payments enough to make them affordable in your situation. I'm not sure what would happen if such payments were then too low to pay off more than the interest.

But if you have a co-signor on a private loan, you're completely screwed. They'll go after the co-signor if you can't make payments.

 

[*GG*]

My parents are already on the verge of losing their house, i was being humble in saying "relative poverty" After my loans and medical bills are paid i see pretty much nothing at the end of the month and my being there, just the increase in utilities and food could put them over. Before I was sick I was sending them as much money as I could to help them out. My moving in there would be too much strain on them.

I guess I'll start with a SS lawyer. Thanks for the advice

@Aerose91

You should be able to get a Dr to sign off on forms in regards to you being disabled, and then you will not have to pay them back!

GG

 

[Amaya2014]

@Aerose91 I'm getting ready to apply for SSDI. They decide disability on a condition that makes a person unable to work, and projected to last at least a year. A minimum income not exceeding 1000 ( exceptions can apply) does not affect disability benefits.

75% of people are denied the first time. A lawyer may be a good idea but don't feel like you don't have a case because of a first or second denial.

Also, they will award back pay based on the first date you apply for benefits ( or can show when you became disabled).

Hang in there. You paid into a system for such a time as this. I'm not sure what state you live in but noone should have to live in their car or be homeless. Contact your local representative, better yet go camp out at their office, and explain your situation. You deserve assistance. Don't give up on you and find the public officials and workers who pledge to help those who are in need.

 

[SickOfSickness]

@Aerose91 what people say above about SSDI only applies if you were on payroll (then you would have unemployment insurance paid for by your employer / out of your paychecks). Not if you were an independent contractor.

SSDI is a disability insurance and it expires. There is a formula based on how much you worked in the past 10 years. Expiration is approximately 5 years after the person stops working if they were working full time, and sooner if they were working less.

 

[jeff_w]

@Aerose91 -

There is a legitimate way for you to stop paying your student loans very soon. All you have to do is get on Food Stamps.

No matter what U.S. state you're in, the Federal Government puts your student loans in deferment if you're on Food Stamps. I've attached the Federal Student Loan Deferment form to this post. You will need to fill it out and submit it to your student loan servicers.

Getting on Food Stamps is way quicker and easier than getting disability. (Then, when you're finally on disability, you will still qualify for student loan deferment, due to being disabled.)

I was approved for Food Stamps 2 weeks after I applied. Since you are technically homeless, many states will give you an "expedited approval" for Food Stamps.

In the meantime, before you're approved for Food Stamps, you should call your student loan servicers. Explain your situation to them, and they will likely give you a deferment OR a very reduced monthly payment until the Food Stamp approval comes in.

I did all of this, and it has worked really well. If you have any questions, just ask, either on here or via PM.

Good luck!

 

[geraldt52]

...I guess I'll start with a SS lawyer. Thanks for the advice

Please do that Aerose91. However well-meaning the advice you get here is, when it comes to Social Security Disability you need the help of someone who actually knows the system, and works with it every day. It's possible to get lucky and get approved at any point...but if you don't get lucky, then every mistake that you make will haunt you throughout the process. You may want to say what city you are in, and someone may be able to recommend a lawyer who helped them.

 

[Gingergrrl]

I am in west coast and my SS atty on east coast so atty does not have to be in your city.

My situation is quite different b/c I worked full time for 16 yrs and paid into a private disability plan plus my company's disability plan which continue to pay approx 70% of my former salary but they mandate that I apply for SS to off set the cost which I am doing now.

But I cannot imagine doing it w/o an atty b/c the process is so complex and the atty even told me to expect to be denied twice and then at third time we go to court (with their local atty) to appeal.

He said the whole process takes about 18 mos but I could get back pay to when I stopped working in March 2014. Atty takes one time large sum of the back pay but if I lose, they get nothing and I pay nothing. The chance of winning with an atty is far greater than trying to apply on your own.

 

[Amaya2014]

Also, you can establish an account on the social security website. This will allow you to see if you qualify and an estimate of how much you can receive.

 

[Tired of being sick]

You qualify for food stamps right now..

might only be $100 plus or minus $30 but that would definitely help your parents out just maybe enough to offset the utilities you use..

 

[Amaya2014]

@Aerose91 here is a website for SSDI legal assistance, www.allsup.com. Their number is 1-800-279-4357. They only charge if you obtain Social security benefits.

 

[SickOfSickness]

How do you make money to just meet basic requirements, let alone medical costs?

I know a lot of chronically ill patients do a little work. Pet sitting, selling their handmade crafts, doing surveys, tutoring just a few hours a week, etc. Some do even more, and many are pushing themselves outside their energy envelopes, and then crash, recover, and repeat

Also many of us have to skip medications, supplements, and appointments sometimes.

There is crowdfunding but it seems hard to get much

 

[JaimeS]

I found an online TAing position that takes up anywhere from 8 hrs to 25 hrs a week (the instructor and I worked out a system about who grades what, so it varies depending on what's due that week.) The pay is very similar to what I got while teaching, hour-for-hour. I haven't crashed on this much work, so it's really lovely.

I also got turned on to Elance by a PR member, and have put a few applications up for short-term freelancing work, mostly to do with writing. Elance has yet to get me a job, but they're a very interesting service - you get people from all over the world looking for people who are articulate and good writers for editing and such - and you can take quizzes for certain skill sets and post your scores as part of your profile (top 5% in academic writing and creative writing!) for potential employers to see. It's ideal for people with ME, because you can choose to accept or not accept jobs, or you can only apply for the type of job you feel ready for, for whatever price they're offering, and just be working and thinking again. It's really good.

My TAing position may turn into more in the fall. I am very lucky to be employed at an alternative medicine school - literally one of the only jobs where you can say, "I'm very, very happy to be working with you, and I also have very clear boundaries" and they'll be happy to hear it.

It's not all sunshine and roses, though. I still have my apartment, but for the first time since I was in my twenties, I had to ask my mom for money. Ugh.

-J

 

[Little Bluestem]

@JaimeS, I would not pass any writing tests, but where did you find the online TAing? I might be able to handle that.

 

[JaimeS]

@Little Bluestem - I applied, as one does. I kept my eye out in places like Glassdoor, which is a job listing site, and I applied to a bunch of similar, long-distance positions. I also still have friends and family at/around/employed by various universities, so I was able to ask them to keep an eye out for me. I got lucky when my old alma mater was hiring, and was hired by my favorite former professor.

So polish up your resume, (or send it to someone on Elance to polish it for you, if writing is not your thing) and start sending it out, now; they're be looking for people for fall.

-J

 

[Aerose91]

@JamieS

That's great that it's worked out for you at least to some degree so far. Unfortunately this disease is so centered in my brain that I've lost a large portion of my intillect and thinking=crashing and disease progression. I'll check out Elance though, and see if there's anything I may be capable of

 

[Aerose91]

I am in west coast and my SS atty on east coast so atty does not have to be in your city.

My situation is quite different b/c I worked full time for 16 yrs and paid into a private disability plan plus my company's disability plan which continue to pay approx 70% of my former salary but they mandate that I apply for SS to off set the cost which I am doing now.

But I cannot imagine doing it w/o an atty b/c the process is so complex and the atty even told me to expect to be denied twice and then at third time we go to court (with their local atty) to appeal.

He said the whole process takes about 18 mos but I could get back pay to when I stopped working in March 2014. Atty takes one time large sum of the back pay but if I lose, they get nothing and I pay nothing. The chance of winning with an atty is far greater than trying to apply on your own.

With a lawyer you were able to receive SS benefits while still receiving 70% of your former income?

 

[Aerose91]

Thank you all for your help with this, btw